Keeping your precious memories safe is essential in our digital age. Google Photos is a popular platform for storing images, but having a backup strategy is crucial to prevent losing your cherished photos. In this guide, I'll walk you through six reliable methods to backup Google Photos to another account, ensuring your memories remain secure even if something happens to your primary account.

Whether you're looking to create extra security for your family photos or simply want to organize your images across different accounts, these methods will help you create effective backups without hassle.

Why You Should Backup Your Google Photos

Before diving into the methods, let's quickly understand why backing up your Google Photos to another account matters:

• Protection against accidental deletion
• Safety net if your primary account gets compromised
• Extra storage management options
• Easier sharing with family members
• Peace of mind knowing your memories exist in multiple places

Method 1: Using Google Takeout to Transfer Photos

Google Takeout is a free service that lets you export data from your Google account, including your entire Google Photos library. This is perhaps the most comprehensive way to backup your photos to another account.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Google Takeout

1. Visit Google Takeout and sign in with your primary Google account
2. Deselect all products by clicking "Deselect all"
3. Scroll down and select only "Google Photos"
4. Click on "All photo albums included" to customize which albums to export
5. Click "Next step" at the bottom of the page
6. Choose your delivery method (email link is recommended)
7. Select your file type (zip files are standard)
8. Choose your file size (2GB is often manageable)
9. Click "Create export"

Once Google processes your request (which can take hours or even days depending on your library size), you'll receive an email with download links. Download these files, then sign into your second Google account and upload them to Google Photos.

Pros and Cons of the Google Takeout Method

• Pros: Completely free, creates a full backup, maintains original quality
• Cons: Can be time-consuming for large libraries, manual process, might need to be repeated regularly

Method 2: Using Partner Sharing in Google Photos

Google Photos offers a Partner Sharing feature that allows you to automatically share photos with another account. While not a traditional backup, it effectively creates a copy of selected photos in another account.

How to Set Up Partner Sharing

1. Open the Google Photos app on your mobile device
2. Tap on your profile picture in the top right corner
3. Select "Photos settings"
4. Tap on "Partner Sharing"
5. Tap "Get started" and follow the prompts
6. Enter the email address of your second Google account
7. Choose what you want to share (all photos, photos of specific people, or from a certain date)
8. Tap "Send invitation"
9. Log into your second account and accept the invitation

What Partner Sharing Can and Cannot Do

• It can automatically share new photos that meet your criteria
• It can share existing photos based on your settings
• It cannot share all albums automatically
• It may not maintain the original folder structure

Method 3: Manual Download and Upload

Sometimes the simplest approach works best. You can manually download photos from one Google account and upload them to another.

Steps for Manual Transfer

1. Sign in to your primary Google Photos account
2. Select the photos or albums you want to backup
3. Click the three dots menu and select "Download"
4. Wait for the download to complete to your device
5. Sign out and sign in to your second Google account
6. Click "Upload" and select the photos you just downloaded
7. Wait for the upload to complete

Tips for Efficient Manual Transfers

• Work with batches of 100-200 photos at a time to manage the process better
• Create a consistent folder structure on your computer before uploading
• Consider doing this regularly (monthly or quarterly) to keep your backup current
• Use a high-speed internet connection for faster transfers

Method 4: Using Third-Party Backup Services

Several third-party services can help transfer photos between Google accounts. These tools often provide additional features and automation.

Popular Third-Party Options

PicBackMan

• Create a PicBackMan account at PicBackMan.com
• Download and install the PicBackMan app on your Windows or Mac computer
• Sign in to your PicBackMan account
• Connect your source Google Photos account
• Connect the destination Google Photos account (or another supported cloud service)
• Select the photos and videos you want to transfer
• Start the migration and let PicBackMan automatically copy your media

odrive

• Sign up for odrive at odrive.com
• Connect both Google accounts
• Use the sync feature to keep photos backed up between accounts

Rclone (for advanced users)

1. Install Rclone on your computer
2. Configure connections to both Google accounts
3. Use command-line instructions to sync or copy photos between accounts

Comparing Third-Party Services

Service	Ease of Use	Cost	Automation
PicBackMan	Very Easy	Free with limitations, Paid plans available	Yes (photos & videos only)
odrive	Medium	Free tier available, Premium from $9.99/month	Yes
Rclone	Advanced	Free	Yes, but requires scripting

Method 5: Using Shared Albums

Google Photos' shared album feature can be used as a simple way to backup specific albums to another account.

Creating and Using Shared Albums

1. In your primary Google Photos account, create or select an album
2. Click the "Share" icon
3. Select "Create link" or directly enter your second account's email
4. Log into your second account
5. Access the shared album (via email invitation or link)
6. Click "Add to library" to save all photos to your second account
7. Repeat for each album you want to backup

Important Notes About Shared Albums

• You'll need to manually add new photos to the shared albums
• The second account needs to manually save the photos
• This method works best for organized collections rather than your entire library
• Quality remains high as photos aren't downloaded and re-uploaded

Method 6: Using Desktop Sync and Multiple Accounts

This method uses your computer as an intermediary to sync photos between accounts.

Setting Up Desktop Sync

1. Download and install Google Photos Backup & Sync (now Google Drive for desktop)
2. Sign in with your primary Google account
3. Set up the app to download your Google Photos to a specific folder on your computer
4. Install a second instance of the app in a different folder
5. Sign in with your second Google account
6. Configure it to upload from the folder where your primary account downloads photos

Advanced Setup Tips

• Use scheduled tasks/scripts to manage the sync process
• Consider using symbolic links to connect folders if running two instances is problematic
• Monitor storage space on your computer as photos can take up significant space
• Consider setting up an external drive for this purpose if your photo library is large

Comparing All Backup Methods

Let's compare all six methods to help you choose the right one for your needs:

Method	Ease of Use	Time Required	Automation	Best For
Google Takeout	Medium	High	No	Complete one-time backups
Partner Sharing	Easy	Low	Yes	Ongoing backup of new photos
Manual Download/Upload	Easy	Medium	No	Selective backups of specific photos
Third-Party Services	Varies	Low	Yes	Regular automated backups
Shared Albums	Easy	Low	Partial	Backing up organized collections
Desktop Sync	Complex	Medium	Yes	Tech-savvy users with large libraries

Tips for Managing Multiple Google Photos Accounts

Once you've set up your backup system, managing multiple accounts effectively becomes important:

Storage Management

• Monitor storage usage on both accounts
• Consider paying for additional storage only on your primary account
• Regularly clean up duplicate or unwanted photos
• Use Google's storage management tools to identify large files

Organization Strategies

• Use consistent naming conventions for albums across accounts
• Consider using your secondary account for specific categories (e.g., work photos vs. family photos)
• Set calendar reminders for manual backup procedures
• Document your backup process for future reference

Security Considerations

• Use strong, unique passwords for both accounts
• Enable two-factor authentication on all Google accounts
• Regularly check account activity for any suspicious logins
• Be cautious about third-party app permissions

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with the best backup strategies, you might encounter some challenges:

Handling Upload Errors

• Check your internet connection stability
• Try uploading smaller batches of photos
• Clear browser cache if using the web interface
• Ensure you haven't exceeded storage limits

Dealing with Duplicate Photos

• Use Google Photos' built-in duplicate detection
• Consider third-party duplicate photo finder apps
• Create a system for marking which photos have already been backed up

Resolving Sync Issues

• Check that both accounts have sufficient storage
• Verify that sharing permissions are set correctly
• Restart sync applications if they seem stuck
• Check for app updates that might resolve sync problems

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

Videos are precious memories and all of us never want to lose them to hard disk crashes or missing drives. PicBackMan is the easiest and simplest way to keep your videos safely backed up in one or more online accounts. 

Simply download PicBackMan (it's free!), register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are - PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those too. You don't have to ever touch it.

Maintaining Your Backup System

A backup is only useful if it's current and functional. Here's how to maintain your system:

Regular Checks

• Set a monthly reminder to verify your backup is working
• Randomly sample a few photos to ensure they're properly backed up
• Check that automated systems are still running correctly

Updating Your Strategy

• Reassess your backup needs annually
• Stay informed about changes to Google Photos' features and policies
• Consider adding additional backup locations for critical photos

Conclusion

Backing up your Google Photos to another account is a smart strategy for protecting your precious memories. Whether you choose the comprehensive approach of Google Takeout, the simplicity of Partner Sharing, or any of the other methods outlined in this guide, the important thing is to have a system in place.

Remember that no single backup method is perfect, and the best approach might combine several of these techniques. For instance, you might use Partner Sharing for day-to-day backup of new photos while performing a complete Google Takeout backup quarterly.

By taking the time to implement one or more of these backup methods, you're ensuring that your photo memories remain safe regardless of what happens to your primary Google account. This extra layer of security is well worth the effort for preserving the images that matter most to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will backing up photos to another Google account use double the storage?

Yes, photos stored in two different Google accounts will count toward the storage limit of both accounts. Each Google account comes with 15GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos. If you exceed this limit in either account, you'll need to purchase additional storage or manage your space carefully.

Can I automate the Google Takeout process?

Google Takeout itself doesn't offer automation features. However, you can schedule regular calendar reminders to perform the export manually. Some third-party services claim to automate Takeout, but these typically require giving access to your Google account and may pose security risks.

Do photos backed up to another account maintain their original quality?

Yes, when using methods like Google Takeout or direct downloads, the original quality is preserved. However, be aware that if you're using the "High Quality" storage option (now called "Storage saver") in either account, those photos may already be compressed compared to the originals you uploaded.

What happens to my shared albums if I delete photos from my primary account?

If you delete photos from your primary account that have been shared via shared albums, they will also be removed from the shared album. However, if the recipient has already saved these photos to their library, those copies will remain intact in their account.

Is there a limit to how many photos I can transfer between Google accounts?

There's no specific limit to the number of photos you can transfer, but practical limitations exist. Google Takeout exports may be split into multiple files for large libraries. Manual transfers and uploads might be constrained by your internet connection speed and computer resources. For very large libraries (tens of thousands of photos), expect the process to take significant time regardless of the method you choose.